World and We

Sergey Strokan is a journalist, essayist and a poet. He is also a political commentator with Russia's “Kommersant” Publishing House. Mr. Strokan hosts “Red Line”, a weekly analytical program broadcast by The Voice of Russia in New York City. He is the author of three poetry collections, a winner of the Maximilian Voloshin International Literary Award (2010) and a member of Union of Russian Writers.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's visit to the US has sparked a new debate on the future of Afghanistan which for centuries played a special role, remaining unconquered by superpowers repulsing offensives with old British rifles and Kalashnikov’s.

Days after the US and the EU threatened Russia with more sanctions, following its gas row with Ukraine, unexpectedly good news for President Putin came from Seoul – one of the key Washington’s allies in the Asia-Pacific.

Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich’s visit to Moscow comes as a critical test for Kiev’s relations with Russia, challenged by the army of pro-European protesters at Independence Square and the blessings of their numerous foreign mentors.

Violent protests erupting in the streets of Kiev hours after European leaders ended the debate on the fate of troubled Ukraine’s integration at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius come as a moment of truth for the second-largest ex-Soviet republic.

The Geneva talks on a landmark nuclear deal with Iran, between Tehran and the six world powers, are in the final stage, with most parties signaling that agreement is no longer a phantom but a reality realizable within months, if not weeks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stern warning on Iran, made from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly, comes on the heels of the recent charm offensive by new Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani in New York.

With a high risk to be overshadowed by Syria, the upcoming G20 summit in Saint Petersburg will become a crucial test for the comprehensive multilateral mechanism for regulating global economic growth and development, known as the Group of Twenty.